Necklace with Adjusting Length Beads

ABSTRACT

An adjustable length necklace that is formed with two slide beads, which can be slid on a chain towards one another to make the necklace longer and slid away from one another on the chain to make the necklace shorter. There are inserts, formed of a TPU material, inside the opening in the slide beads, that constrain the free movement of the chain in the bead. This allows all adjustable lengths along the chain to remain balanced.

BACKGROUND

Jewelry such as necklaces are often formed with an openable clasp in the rear, to enable putting the necklace on and taking it off without lifting the necklace over the head. Many find that lifting necklaces over the head causes the necklace to get caught in a person's hair.

My own necklace design described in my patent application number 16131846, filed Sep. 14, 2018, provides a magnetic catch device in the front which can either be connected together to form a closed loop necklace, or tied to form a drop tie style necklace.

I recognized an issue however in necklaces, that some people may want a necklace longer and sometimes they want a shorter necklace depending on the desired look. This can depend on many different aspects of a person's mood, outfit, and style.

SUMMARY

The present application describes a necklace, and a special length-adjusting set of beads which are connected and configured to adjust the length of the necklace. The length of the necklace is adjusted without any parts of the chain dropping down the back or front or attaching to a clasp.

According to an embodiment, the set of beads can be pulled closer to one another to make the necklace longer, or the beads can be pulled apart to make the necklace shorter, e.g. become a choker.

In one embodiment, the necklace has a maximum length of 30 inches, but it can be shortened in size to 16 inches. The beads can be other sizes in other embodiments.

Another embodiment describes the advantageous beads themselves, which have special functions allowing them to move in a certain way on the chain to allow the overall chain length to be lengthened or shortened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment showing adjusting the beads to make the chain longer and shorter;

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of how the chain is passed through the beads;

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of forming a chain part that goes through the bead;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the bead;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the bead; and

FIG. 6 shows a front on view of the bead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An embodiment describes a necklace formed with a set of beads that are configured to lengthen or shorten the overall length of the necklace.

The beads each have internal surfaces which are formed of a material that allows a bead to slide on the chain only when force is applied, but provides enough friction against the chain to prevent the bead from moving on the chain without external force being applied. Thus, the beads hold the chain and prevent the chain from sliding through the bead, unless the chain is pulled, but allows the chain to be pulled through the center of the beads.

The bead includes an outer surface, and an inner surface. The outer surface is preferably metal. The inner surface of the bead includes an insert formed of the material of the type and size that creates friction against the outside of the chain. The friction is sufficient to allow the bead to be moved by applied force, but prevents the bead from sliding on the chain through only gravitational forces. Also, the opening in the insert inside the bead is smaller than the chain, however, has enough give to grip the chain through the center of the bead without damaging the insert or the chain. As described herein, the insert is formed of a thermoplastic urethane or “TPU” material. In one embodiment the insert is formed of Shore 50a TPU material, which has a gradually reducing cross-section from the open edges of the insert to a 0.75 mm opening at the center of the insert. This sized insert can be used, for example, with a 1 mm chain.

In another embodiment, an elastomeric insert can be used.

In one embodiment, the hole allowance in the TPU is 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm smaller than the chain; however, the TPU expands to allow the chain to be pulled through without damage to the TPU insert or the chain. Accordingly, it is difficult to initially feed the chain through the bead. In one embodiment, the chain can be fed through the inside of the bead, using a rigid piece of straight wire as a fish-line. FIG. 3, for example, shows passing the chain 150 through the bead 140 by attaching a piece of rigid wire 300 to the end of the chain 140. This can be formed by threading a 0.3 mm wire through the 1 MM chain, and folding it in half and twisting to create a “needle”. After feeding the wire through the inside of the bead, the wire can be removed from the 1 MM chain, which is then connected to the holding part on the opposite bead and the magnet on the pendant.

Different sizes can also be used.

An embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. The chain 100 is formed of two separated pieces. A first chain piece 110 is connected between the magnetic clasp 120 to the magnet side 125 which has a chain connecting part 122, and goes through a first bead 130 (discussed in further detail herein), and connects to a chain connecting part 142 of a second bead 140.

The second chain part connects to the other side 124 of the magnetic clasp 120 to the magnet side 126, goes through the second bead 140, and connects to the chain connecting part 132 on the first bead 130.

The overall length of the chain can be increased and decreased, by changing the distances between the beads 130 and 140 along the chain 100. As the beads get closer together, the chain's overall length gets longer, as the amount of doubled-up chain in the area between the beads 130 and 140 reduces. As the beads 130 and 140 are separated more, the amount of double chain in the area 145 increases, and hence the necklace gets shorter.

FIG. 2 illustrates the process of the chain 150 being fed through the first of the beads 140 and connected to the chain holder 132 on the bead 130. In a similar way, the chain 110 passes through the bead 130, and connects to the chain holding part 142 on the bead 140.

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of the bead, showing that the bead 140 has an opening 400 at one end, and another opening 410 at the opposite end. The bead is formed of a body 500 formed of brass with for gold plate, approximately 6.6 mm from one into the other shown as dimension 501. Other materials can be used for the bead. The opening in the bead is shown in FIG. 5 6 as a section across the line 6-6. The bead includes an insert in FIG. 5, 510 formed of TPU material, specifically shore 50 A TPU. The insert has an inner diameter which gradually decreases from 0.75 MM at the edge openings, until its narrowest point 0.65 MM at its center portion 520, where the dimension 521 is 0.75 mm. The widest point of the opening can be 0.75 mm, and the diameter of the inner material can gradually decrease for example at an angle of 0.01%. Of course, other sized beads and openings can be used.

The opening at the two ends can be between 0.7 and 0.8 mm. It has been found that 1 mm chain will be pulled through this insert and stay in position where it is left and will not slide on the chain. Of course, those having ordinary skill in the art would readily understand how to easily change these parameters to accommodate different size chains.

In an embodiment, of FIG. 6 the bead is formed with a molded design 600 on its front and rear surface, making the bead more decorative. In an embodiment, the front surface has the design of a penguin, however it should be understood that other designs could alternatively be used for this.

In operation, the chain is connected and sized as explained in FIGS. 1 and 2, where the first length of chain 110 is connected between the connector 122 on the first side of the magnetic clasp 125, through the bead 130, and to the connector 142 on the second bead 140. The second length of chain 150 is connected to the connector 124 on the second side of the magnetic clasp 126, through the second bead 140, and connected to the connector on the first bead 132. The magnetic clasp 120 in this embodiment is a spherical clasp which includes an internal magnet. The two halves 125, 126 of the sphere can be separated to easily remove the necklace. The two halves of the sphere can be placed together, where they are held by magnetic force to easily hold the necklace back together. This can be clicked in the front as a circular necklace, since the magnets can be decorative. Alternatively, before the magnets are clicked together, the necklace can be tied in an overhand knot and worn in the front as a drop necklace instead of clasped in a circle. Also additional decorative magnetic pieces be used with the embodiments, and the chain can still be made longer and shorter, using the advantageous beads.

In an alternative embodiment, the beads can be another shape, such as flattened hearts. In other embodiments, the beads can be of any size or shape.

In embodiments, the following analogy can be drawn: the chain is like a road, the bead is a car moving on that road, the TPU insert are the brakes, and the hands pulling the bead/chain are the gas pedal.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification.

The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An adjustable length necklace comprising: a chain having an outer diameter; a first slide bead and a second slide bead, each of said slide beads having an internal surface which has a diameter effective to allow the chain to slide on the internal surface when receiving external force, but not to slide on the chain when not receiving external force, the chain having first and second pieces, the first piece of the chain connected between the necklace clasp through the first slide bead, and attached to the second slide bead, the second piece of the chain connected between the necklace clasp through the second slide bead, and attached to the first slide bead
 2. The necklace as in claim 1, further comprising a chain attaching part on each of the first and second slide beads, connecting to the chain pieces.
 3. The necklace as in claim 1, wherein an area between the first slide bead and the second slide bead includes both the first piece of chain and the second piece of chain extending between the slide beads, and the first and second slide beads can be slid on the chain to adjust the length of the area.
 4. The necklace as in claim 1, wherein the slide bead includes an outer surface formed of a metallic material and an inner surface formed of a Thermoplastic Polyurethane material.
 5. The necklace as in claim 1, further comprising a necklace clasp holding the chain and allowing the necklace to be opened and magnetically closed.
 6. The necklace as in claim 5, wherein the metallic bead is substantially round in section, includes a first opening at a first end, and a second opening at a second end.
 7. The necklace as in claim 6, wherein the plastic insert has a first diameter at the first end and the second end, and has a smaller diameter in a center portion between the first end and the second end.
 8. The necklace as in claim 1, wherein the bead includes an icon molded on an outside thereof.
 9. The necklace as in claim 1, wherein the necklace clasp has first and second sides, the first piece of the chain connected between the first side of the necklace clasp is a magnet half that is pulled through the first slide bead and connected to the second slide bead, the second piece of the chain connected between the second side of the necklace clasp is another magnet half that is pulled through the second slide bead and connected to the first slide bead.
 10. A slide bead, for a chain of a specified outer size, comprising: an outer surface, formed of a first material; the outer surface having a first opening at the first end and a second opening at a second end, and an internal cavity extending between the first end and the second end; the outer surface having a structure to which the chain can be attached; an inner surface, formed of an insert made of a second material, the insert formed of a diameter effective to allow the chain of the specified outer size to be moved by force, but to prevent the bead from moving relative to the chain just from the weight of the bead.
 11. The slide bead as in claim 10, wherein the inner surface has a first diameter at the first end and the second end, and has a smaller diameter in a center portion between the first end and the second end.
 12. The slide bead as in claim 10 wherein the first material forming the outer surface of the bead is a metal material, and the second material forming the inner surface of the bead is a plastic material forming an insert that fits within the metal material.
 13. The slide bead as in claim 12, wherein the first material is gold plated brass, and the second material is TPU.
 14. The slide bead as in claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the slide bead includes an icon printed thereon.
 15. A method of adjusting the length of a necklace, comprising: providing first and second slide beads, where each of the first and second slide beads is connected to a piece of chain, and also has the opposite piece of chain passing through a central location of the slide bead, where the central location of the slide bead is formed of a material effective to allow the chain to be moved by force through the slide bead but to prevent the chain from moving through the slide bead without applying force; shortening the length of the chain by pulling the beads along the chain, and moving the first and second slide beads away from one another, to form more doubled up chain in between the first and second slide bead; and lengthening the chain by pulling the chain through the beads and moving the first and second slide beads closer to one another, to form less doubled up chain in between the first and second slide beads.
 16. The method as in claim 15, wherein each of the slide beads are formed of a metallic material on the outside and a TPU plastic insert on the inside, the plastic insert having a diameter that is effective to allow the chain to be moved by force through the slide bead but preventing the chain from moving through the slide bead without applying force.
 17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the plastic insert has a gradually decreasing diameter towards the center, 